Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at attempts to repeal legalization in Ohio, a new CBD line from Martha Stewart, cannabis-friendly vacation spots in the U.S. and more. Enjoy.
Policy News and Notes
Cannabis advocates in Ohio and others are being reminded once again that those who oppose legalization won’t let a little thing like a ballot measure keep them from getting their way.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, an Ohio Senate committee has unveiled a proposal that would fundamentally alter the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law that’s set to take effect on December 7.
The proposal that’s being considered in the GOP-controlled chamber would eliminate a home grow option for adults, criminalize the use and possession of marijuana obtained outside of a licensed retailer, reduce the possession limit, raise the sales tax on cannabis and steer funding away from social equity programs and toward law enforcement.
And that’s not all. There are other amendments being proposed concerning THC limits, a ban on public consumption and sharing cannabis between adults and changes to hemp-related rules that stakeholders say would “devastate” the market.
Jaeger notes that the proposed changes to the legislation would increase the excise tax rate on marijuana sales from 10 percent to 15 percent at the point of sale, in addition to a 15 percent gross receipts tax on cultivators and redirect 30 percent of tax revenue toward law enforcement.
In what appeared to be an effort to limit dissent and comment on the proposal, the committee chairman said the public only had until 2:30pm ET on Monday to submit comments on the cannabis legislation—just hours after it was unveiled and moved through committee during the brief hearing.
No additional public testimony will be accepted prior to the vote on the proposal in an emergency session of the legislature scheduled to take place before the legalization of possession and home cultivation becomes legal.
According to Jaeger, Sen. William DeMora (D) criticized the proposal from his Republican colleagues, saying, “from my mind, the voters’ intent is nowhere to be found in this—what I call a shell of what the voters passed.”
Demora added that while he was “willing” to have a conversation about potentially limiting the number of plants that adults could grow under the statute, he believed, “more than half the people that voted for this voted because of home growth, and so taking that away from what the voters clearly wanted is something that I have huge problem with.”
So would, we assume, those who voted in favor of legalization and the right to legally grow your own cannabis.
More news as more news develops.
To learn more, we encourage you to read Kyle Jaeger’s detailed and insightful reporting in the December 4, 2023 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“It’s time to rethink what can be called our post-Prohibition era for cannabis — to accept the fact that, its health dangers notwithstanding, it makes more sense to accept pot as just another consumer product and to make it easily and widely available. One approach: Think of cannabis as less akin to liquor and more like tobacco — an unhealthy habit, which some find pleasurable despite the risks, but which can be legally purchased by adults in hundreds of thousands of locations across the U.S.
It’s useful to consider how pot legalization compares with the situation in 1933, when the 21st Amendment abolished Prohibition of beer, wine and liquor sales nationally. A famous black market had boomed during the bootlegger and speakeasy era in the 1920s. The repeal of Prohibition did not, however, replace a ban with a single national system of regulation. Instead, states and municipalities were, in the U.S. federal system, free to adopt their own types of regulation and taxes. “—Howard Husock.
Mr. Husock’s comment is taken from an op-ed he penned for The Messenger, an American news website. Perhaps what is most notable about Mr. Husock’s comment is not his position but who he is— a senior fellow in Domestic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), focusing on municipal government, urban housing policy, civil society, and philanthropy.
Some might say his take on legalization is something of a “white flag” on the cannabis issue for the center-right think tank that is known for its policy papers on government, politics, economics, and social welfare.
Later in his op-ed Husock expands on his comparison of legalizing cannabis to the legal system that governs tobacco use. He writes: “ A similar cannabis market is imaginable: Brand-name cannabis products, inspected and approved for purity and potency and relied upon by consumers. These would be sold, like cigarettes, from locked cabinets behind store counters and restricted to adult buyers, to the extent possible. Sales taxes, in contrast to those on tobacco, might be minimal, at least at first, in order to marginalize black-market sellers. Over time, however, taxes could be used as a deterrent to use, as they are for tobacco — since most Americans likely would prefer to purchase pot legally.”
Mr.Husock is said to be preparing a longer paper on the cannabis issue for AEI. To learn more, we suggest reading his op-ed in the December 4, 2023 issue of The Messenger.com.
themessenger.com/opinion/marijuana-regulation-tobacco-sales-illegal-growers-pot-smokers
CBD Spotlight
If you are sore, stressed or sleep deprived, there is no reason to fret. Martha Stewart has a gummy for that.
Just in time for the holidays, that doyenne of domestic arts and Snoop Dogg’s BFF—Martha Stewart—has unveiled a new line of what her company, Martha Stewart CBD, is calling “need-based CBD gummies.” The gummies are described as “convenient, plant-based solutions to help people feel their best all day, every day.”
They also secure her position in one of the latest trends in the cannabis industry—matching specific strains and products with specific conditions or needs.
According to the company, this latest line was developed as a response to consumer demand for targeted solutions that address their most common needs: sleep, stress, and the discomfort of aches and soreness. Each product is said to be formulated with higher levels of CBD and powerful co-active ingredients selected for their efficacy.
Said Ms. Stewart, ” I discovered CBD several years ago as a simple, effective, and natural solution to help address the discomforts of everyday life. Having benefited greatly from it myself, I set out to create a delicious and premium line of gummies that taste as good as they make you feel.”
Produced in partnership with Marquee Brands and Canopy Growth Corporation, the new solution-oriented formulations are said to combine elevated flavor profiles with Canopy Growth’s “unique consumer insights and continuous industry innovation.”
For example, the Sleep CBD Gummies have what’s described as a berry medley flavor with “notes of Montmorency cherry, elderberry, and boysenberry.” They contain 25 mg of CBD and 3 mg of Melatonin.
The Chill CBD Gummies are citrus flavored and contain 25 mg of CBD and 50 mg of L-Theanine—an amino acid found primarily in green and black tea and some mushrooms. These gummies are said to help ease anxiety, stress, and reduce insomnia.
The Extra Strength CBD Gummies have a flavor profile that’s described as a blend of pluot, apricot, and California red peaches. They contain 30 mg of CBD.
Said Tara Rozalowsky, Chief Growth Officer and President, International, Canopy Growth. “Martha Stewart is a trusted household name because people of all ages turn to her for candid advice and simple, sensible solutions to everyday problems. The new Martha Stewart CBD needs-based gummies deliver just that – accessible, reliable relief when and where you need it most.”
You can learn more at marthastewartcbd.com, where the full lineup is available, or follow @marthastewartcbd on Instagram.
Medical Cannabis: A European Perspective
According to a recent poll conducted by Statista, a German online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization, respondents in Poland were found to be the most receptive to the idea of using medical cannabis.
So says Daria B., reporting for Cannabizeu, a publication that covers cannabis business information from Europe. She writes that the Statista poll was conducted in various European nations between October 2022 and September 2023 in order to gain insight into the opinions of people between the ages of 18 and 64 regarding the therapeutic use of medical cannabis.
According to the poll, 42 percent of respondents in Poland said they would be prepared to use medical cannabis as an alternative therapy.
Poland led the way in this survey, followed by Germany (37 percent), Austria (37 percent), and Switzerland (34 percent).
Daria B. noted that positive responses were lower in the UK (26 percent), Netherlands (25 percent), Spain (22 percent), and France (20 percent).
When speculating as to why the Polish respondents were the most positive when it came to medical cannabis, Statista said possibly it is due to the fact that the culture has a history of accepting alternative and complementary therapies in general.
In the U.S. medical cannabis is legal, in one form or another, in 37 states.
To learn more, you can read the article by Daria B. in the December 5, 2023 issue of Cannaabizeu.com.
cannabizeu.com/attitudes-towards-medical-cannabis-in-europe-a-statista-poll/
Travel Tips
Mature consumers who are thinking of planning a winter vacation to a cannabis friendly environment are in luck.
The travel writers for Thrilllist, a media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment, have compiled what they believe are the best cities in America for a “next-level cannabis experience.”
For example, Sean Cooley, who reports on the Los Angeles scene, recommends a visit to the City of the Angels—West Hollywood in particular. Cooley suggests a visit to several cannabis-friendly cafes and restaurants there, including the recently reopened Original Cannabis Cafe, which he describes as “a landmark hangout that opened in West Hollywood in 2019 offering up pre-rolls and blunts along with infused eats and rentable accessories for those who want to dabble in concentrates or smoke out of a classy Bud Vase flower bong.”
For a much different experience, Cooley suggests a trip up north—way up north—to Anchorage, Alaska. Writes Cooley, “In Anchorage, cannabis is legal and readily available in a mature market with a surprising variety of high-end and low-cost options across consumption types. It’s a natural accessory for a lifestyle centered around adventure travel (as well as snowed-in days of reindeer sausage and Fortnite).”
Should you venture there he proposes a trip to a “prestigious dive bar ” such as the Salty Dawg Saloon (smoke breaks outside) or Beluga whale watching at Turnagain Arm—said to be a memorable setting for wildlife watching, nature photography, and hiking, all just south of Anchorage. He also recommends an aurora borealis helicopter tour where you can view the Northern Lights while you yourself are lit.
To learn more—and for the entire list of recommendations—we urge you to read the article in the December 1, 2023 issue of Thrillist.com. Simply click on the following link:
www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/weed-vacation-best-us-cities?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
